A comparison of the adaptation of yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus L.) and narrow-leafed lupin (L. angustifolius L.) to acid sandplain soils in low rainfall agricultural areas of Western Australia

摘要

Almost the entire lupin industry of Western Australia is based on the single species Lupinus angustifolius L. (narrow-leafed lupin), which is very well adapted to coarse-textured, mildly acid soils. However, L. angustifolius is not well suited to the strongly acid sand plain soils along the low rainfall fringe of Western Australia’s agricultural areas, and alternative grain legume species may be preferable. These soils, known locally as wodjil soils, have very low nutrient contents, often high levels of extractable Al in the subsoil, and are common in areas where severe brown spot and root rot disease is caused byPleiochaeta setosa. Yellow lupin, Lupinus luteus L., may be a better species on these soils.